An ostomy pouching system is a medical prosthetic that provides a means for the collection of waste from a diverted biological system and is commonly associated with medical procedures such as colostomies, ileostomies, and urostomies. In such medical procedures, an internal body conduit, for example, an intestine, is surgically severed and connected to a hole in the skin of the body, such that the interior of the intestine is in communication with the environment exterior to the skin. The distal end of the conduit extending through the skin is commonly called a stoma. In general, a stoma is a surgically created opening that connects a portion of a body cavity to the outside environment. In a colostomy, for example, a surgically created opening in the large intestine allows the removal of feces out of the body, bypassing the rectum, to drain into a pouch or other collection device connected with the stoma.
In order to contain the waste flowing through a conduit such as an intestine and to a stoma, ostomy pouching systems have been designed to be selectively secured to the skin in the region around the stoma. Ostomy pouching systems usually consist of a mounting plate, commonly called a baseplate or a wafer, and a collection pouch that is attached mechanically or with an adhesive in a fluid-tight seal to the wafer. Wafers are manufactured in a variety of shapes, usually being fashioned of pectin or a similar organic material, which is adhered with a light adhesive so as to be selectively secured to the skin surrounding the stoma. An internal opening, usually centrally disposed, in the wafer is selectively sized so as to accommodate the stoma. The wafer protects the surrounding skin from contact with the waste flowing through the stoma.
Ostomy collection pouches generally comprise two basic types: an open-end, which is drainable, and a close-end, which is disposable. With close-end pouch collection systems, disconnecting a pouch from the associated wafer and reattaching a new pouch can be an extremely messy, foul procedure. Sometimes the pressure within the stoma or a back-up of body waste within the stoma can result in waste spurting out from the stoma. Even in those situations where body waste does not spurt from the stoma, usually there is an oozing of waste from the stoma.
In both open-end and close-end collection pouches, the wafer may last between four to ten days before it needs to be replaced, which time duration is highly dependent on the individual's lifestyle, the type of ostomy, and the person's anatomy. The same problems associated with spurting and oozing waste are attendant the act of changing a wafer. Situations also arise where the wafer peels away from the skin or where the connection between the wafer and the collection pouch becomes imperfectly sealed, such that waste from the stoma leaks from the wafer region.
Whenever possible, most persons fit with an ostomy pouching system prefer to change a close-end collection pouch or the wafer while in a bathroom shower. Nevertheless, there may be several different types of situations where a preferred environment is not attainable, such as where a leak occurs while the person is at a restaurant, at a sporting event, or traveling, or such as where a person is bedridden. Thus, it can be appreciated that there are various degrees of inconvenience and urgency in attending to the replacement of a close-end collection pouch or to the replacement of a wafer.
The present invention was developed in order to facilitate a relatively sanitary and safe way to change a close-end collection pouch or the wafer so that waste such as acidic fecal residue minimizes contact with the region of the skin surrounding the stoma and so that body waste is prevented from spewing and spilling onto a person's clothing, onto bedding, and onto other objects in the vicinity of the stoma. The invention may be conveniently, readily, and discretely available and employed in many environments and situations.